INSIDER VIEW

Straight vs. Gay: Is Morality the Only
Issue?

By Kevin Feldman

There is a public school district in the United States where
there are co-ed locker rooms for children in grades 7 through
12. ‘Outrageous!’ you say? ‘How can this be?’
you ask?

You're right---it is outrageous, and as far as I know it isn’t
true.

However, this illustration does pave the way for another argument
against the Gay agenda. A debate that is not about the morality
of the Gay Rights movement (although there are plenty of good
arguments to be made), but one that focuses on the absurdity
of its demands.

When our eldest son entered the ninth grade, he was quick to
involve himself in some of the activities offered by the public
high school. Chronic asthma had kept him from most athletic
activity for most of his life. But hearing that competitive
swimming has therapeutic value for asthma sufferers, my son
tried out for the high school swim team. My wife and I
were pleased that our son had found a team sport in which he
excelled. Our only concern up to that point was that the weekday
evening practices were keeping him from having dinner with us.
Then something very disturbing happened.

After one of the team’s practices, my son headed to the
showers, as usual, along with his teammates. When he and the
other boys entered the locker room they noticed a men’s
group preparing to use the pool. As these men were changing
into their swimsuits and showering, my son and some of the other
boys were shocked to see some of these men embracing and fondling
each other.

It was days before our son mentioned this incident to us. In
fact, it wasn’t until the men started making sexual comments
to some of the boys that our son shared his outrage with us.

The next day I contacted the school principal and voiced my
concern. He admitted that the school was allowing a local, gay
men’s group to use the swimming pool. The principal defended
the men in this group as ‘professionals and business owners
in the community,’ and saying that he was ‘surprised
they would behave this way.’ The principal did apologize
though, and promised that he would speak to the group about
the matter.

Within days of talking to the school principal, our son broke
his arm and dislocated his shoulder, putting an abrupt end to
his high school swimming career. It wasn’t long after
that when I relocated my family to another state. To this day,
I don’t know if the principal ever spoke to the men’s
group, or if they were allowed to continue to use the school’s
facilities.

Up to that point, the Gay vs. Straight argument had been one
based on morality and public health concerns. However, our son’s
experience had made me acutely aware of something I hadn’t
thought of before---the absurdity of the demands made by the
Gay rights movement in the name of “civil liberty.”

The gay agenda is to allow homosexuals to have equal access
to the same places that heterosexuals have access to. This movement
has already succeeded at allowing gay sailors and soldiers to
share the same sleeping quarters with heterosexual men and women...providing
they “don’t tell.” The gay agenda would have
homosexual men serving as scoutmasters, coaches, and in other
positions that some may find as compromising, or situations
that invite temptation and risk harmful and sometimes criminal
behavior.

Because gay men are sexually attracted to other men and teenage
boys in much the same way that straight men are attracted to
women and teenage girls, doesn’t it make sense to have
the same restrictions in place separating gay from straight
that we use to separate boys from girls? Or, is it even a violation
of a woman’s civil rights not to allow her equal access
to men’s bathrooms, locker rooms and sleeping quarters?
After all, why do we separate boys from girls, men from women
in the first place?

As we know, males and females have sexual interests and
curiosities in one another, causing most to be self-conscious
and modest about exposing themselves to the opposite sex. When
boys and girls, men and women view pornography it provokes dishonoring
thoughts about the opposite sex and causes them to be tempted.
Once tempted, there is a greater potential for inappropriate
actions to take place. In the New Testament, James 1:14 - 15
addresses this issue, “...but each one is tempted when,
by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then,
after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,
when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.“

As a married man, I avoid situations where I am alone with
a woman other than my wife. I am fallible and might be tempted
to act inappropriately. I try to avoid compromising situations
in order to protect myself as well as others.

Could it also be that we subject ourselves to written and unwritten
laws and social mores because they are wise and prudent, helping
to shield us from compromising situations---those environments
that may tempt us and invite dangerous, criminal or unwanted
behavior? To separate people based on sexual preferences is
nothing new. That is, at least in-part, why we separate male
from female in many cases, isn't it? It is discrimination
to be sure---but, good discrimination!

I know to some of you reading this, what I am saying may seem
mean-spirited---but, nothing could be farther from the truth!
In fact, my heart breaks for homosexual men and women. Like
all of us who are recovering or have been healed from an addiction
know, there is a time when you convince yourself that you don’t
have a problem---that you don’t need help. We have shunned
anyone who came to us with the truth. I love homosexuals, as
Jesus commands His disciples to love all men. In the same way
I hate my own sin, I also hate the sin of homosexual behavior.
A homosexual’s sin is no greater than my own. The only
difference is that I repent of my sin daily, and ask God to
forgive me and protect me from those compromising situations
that might cause me to sin again.

There is a wonderful story in the New Testament book of Luke
7:36 – 50. In the story, Jesus was invited to dine at
the home of a prominent Jewish leader. While reclining at the
table, a young woman throws herself at the feet of Jesus, weeping
and wiping our Savior’s feet with her tear-soaked hair.
Jesus welcomed the woman who was repentant and seeking forgiveness
from her life as an adulteress, yet the wealthy host believed
her to be unworthy of forgiveness. Jesus forgave the woman.
The Lord hated her sin, and knew that the woman hated her life
of sexual sin as well. This woman could have been a lesbian,
gambler, drug-user, thief or even a murderer, and the Lord would
have forgiven her just the same.

There is great healing that comes with the unconditional love
and forgiveness that only Jesus Christ can offer.

We all want the freedom to protect our families from those
situations where they might be tempted to sin. There should
be laws that protect our children and allow them to fully participate
in society without being needlessly put in harm’s way.
Our sons and daughters should be free to become Scouts without
having the fear of being alone with their Scout leaders. They
should be encouraged to be involved in sports without requiring
that they be warned about their coaches. Our children should
be able to shower in their high school locker rooms without
the foreboding that unsavory eyes are upon them.

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